DOD goal: Boost DISN bandwidth up to 10 Gbps

The Defense Department has issued a request for proposals for technologies that would boost bandwidth for the Defense Information Systems Network.

The RFP is for the DISN Access Transport Services contract, estimated at roughly $500 million.

DATS will provide upgraded, leased-access transmission services between the government-owned backbone network and 600 military sites not covered by the $900 million Global Information Grid-Bandwidth Expansion initiative at 90-plus sites. DOD is requiring the transmission services to support bandwidths up to OC-192, offering 10-Gbps throughput.

As part of the DISN upgrade, many legacy voice, data and video systems as well as emerging capabilities'such as the department's main network-centric warfare initiatives'will shift to IP operation. DISN currently is a switched-circuit transport system.